'Gutted' Brook hopes to learn next week if Alexander fight will take place

Kell Brook admits he remains in limbo over his world title fight with American Devon Alexander.

The 26-year-old was due to face the IBF welterweight champion in Detroit on Saturday week but Alexander suffered a biceps injury last week.

A tweet from Floyd Mayweather Jnr suggesting he was in negotiations to fight Alexander then threw Brook’s plans into further turmoil.

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‘I still don’t know, I’m still in limbo with it all,’ he said. ‘I’m just absolutely gutted. Training for 12 – 13 weeks away from my family and finding out the news, I can’t put into words how devastated I am. But I’ve got to be professional about it. I got to keep ticking over, keep my mind on it and wait to hear in our favour.

‘It’s very hard. I’ve been doing this 17 years – since I was nine years old. This kind of thing’s happened to me before but on a smaller scale. I’ve just got to keep my mind on it and it is hard to deal with but I’ve got to deal with it and be ready for what comes next.’

Brook, who would fight for the vacant title if Alexander looks elsewhere, would rather face the champion as planned.

‘I don’t know if it’s a ploy to get Mayweather and [Robert] Guerrero fighting – to make them fight each other for the WBC,’ he added. ‘With things in boxing, you never know what’s going to happen, but [promoter] Eddie [Hearn's] going over for the Gavin Rees v Adrien Broner fight this week and he’ll be with [Golden Boy CEO] Richard Schaefer so we should find out more in the next week or so.

‘He’s been on my mind for weeks and weeks now and I want to show those people who haven’t heard of me in America. I want to get in there and rip that title off him and explode onto the world scene.’

Brook, who has returned to Sheffield following a training camp in Fuerteventura, joined former world champion Johnny Nelson at a Sky Sports masterclass with local schoolchildren.

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‘Boxing was great for me obviously,’ he said. ‘Great discipline. From school I used to get down to the boxing gym and Brendan would be learning with his blokes so it kept me from being naughty on the street.

‘Obviously I was one of these young lads and me and Johnny are Sheffield lads so I think we’ll bring inspiration from what we’ve achieved in boxing and it’s great for us to be here.’

Kell Brook is supporting Sky Sports Living for Sport, a free secondary schools initiative, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, that uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands young people across the UK. For more information visit www.skysports.com/livingforsport